Table



May 17, 1932v J. E. wooD 1,858,534

TABLE vFiled May 10 1929 wp/Mlm@ Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED sraras ai;i

JOSEPH E. WOOD, OF CHICAGO, ELINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEARIBORN COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS TABLE Application ledMay 10, 1929. Serial NLO. 361,939.

My invention relates to improvements in tables and particularly cardtables having legs which fold Within the confines of the table frame.

w The object of my invention is to provide u a novel structure forsupporting the folding legs entirely from the frame independently.

of the top of the table. Y

Another object is to provide a folding leg structure having all of theparts assembled on i a supporting member which can be fastened to thetable frame as a unit.

A further object is to provide an improved folding leg structure fortables which will be rigid and substantial with respect to the tablewithout the use of exposed braces in open position, which can be readilyand easily folded within the table frame, and which will be inexpensiveto manufacture.

A further object is to provide an improved hinge structure permittingthe legs to be folded and novel locking means for holding the legs inopen or table supporting position.V

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter. .f

Referring to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a section of one corner of a card table showing in perspectivethe folding leg unit vfastened in position within the corner of thetable frame; v

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of the corner portion of the table andfolding leg unit, with the leg itself in section. Vp

The drawings illustrate one corner portion of a table and the foldingleg structure associated with that corner portion, but 1t is understood,of course, that this structure is duplicated in allthe other corners ofthe table so thatV all of the legs may be 'folded within theframe. Cardtables are `generally made as light in weight as possible consistentwith proper strength for the purpose, and the strengthen and rigidity inthis type of table is principally in the frame. The top board Aof acardtable is generally made as thin and light in Vweight as possible. ThistopV board is supported around its edges by the frame members B and isusually covered with felt or a suitable fabric C to finish off the topsurface of the table. The top board A is set in depressed shoulders l inthe upper edge of the frame to finish o this edge, and glued inposition.V Vlin addition to this small cleats 2 are distributed aroundthe top adj acent the frame members and glued to' the Vunder surface ofthe top board. These cleats are. secured by nails or screws 3 to theinside of the frame members. A cleat 2 is also preferably placed in eachcorner of the frame, Fig. 4. The frame B is composed of wooden stripsarranged in rectangular relation and rigidly secured at their ends bymitering and gluing to form the joints at the corners of the frame.

l provide supporting plates or members 5 in the Vcorners of the frame.These corner 4plates are triangular in shape with two sides at rightangles to each other to fit the corner of the frame, and a diagonal sideconnection extending between the ends of the two right angled sides.This supporting member is preferably made as a flat plate with flanges 6turned at right .angles to the plane of ithe plate to provide means bywhich the supporting plate may be secured to the table frame. Theflanges also serve to strengthen the plate against bending. Thesupporting member is placed in the corner of the frame with its topsurface substantially in the plane of the shoulders 2 so that it willsupport the corner portions of the top board. It is secured in place bymeans of the screws Y passing through the flanges 6 and into the framemembers. The supporting plate 5 is preferably inexpensively made as ametal stamping. The corner ofthe supporting member 5 is cut out toprovide a space for the corner cleats 2. The

Vedges of these cutout portions are also turned at right angles to formflanges 6 for Strengthening the supporting plate.

. n A socket or channel member l0, for the leg 1l is mounted on thesupporting member 5.

rl`his socket member is preferably rectangular to conform to therectangular upper end of the leg, and'is preferably made asa metal Y:stamping with outstanding flanges 12 at right angles to its Walls 10 and10. The anges are preferably riveted at 13 to the supporting member. Thesocket is disposed with its longitudinal axis at right angles to the topof the table, and is deep enough to embrace a suilicient yportion of thelength `of the leg to brace the leg in rigid rela-tion to the supportingmember when the leg is in open position. I@ne side .of thesorcket memberis open and faces in the direction of the -side member of the frame topermit the leg to be swung on its hinge into and out of the socket in aplane substantially parallel to the side member of the frame. Y

'As shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4, the hinge member for the leghas one of 'its leaves le `riveted to the supporting member 5 and itsother leaf 15 Afastened by screws 16 to the leg. rEhe pivot 17 of .theyhinge is located close to the upper end of the leg. The hinge ispositioned iin the open side of the socket or channelmember and spacedfrom the opposite wall vthereof in such manner that the leg will beforced snugly against this opposite wall 10fas the leg approaches itscompletely open position. vTheWalls 10 of the socket extend `beyond `theleg when the leg is in the socket and these extended portions have slots`1 8 which are adapted to be engaged by a locking lever 19, carriedbythe leg. rlfhe locking lever is pivoted at 20 on the same side of theleg as the hinge is located, and, as is adapted to .be swung about itspivot Fig. 3 after the le@ has been swung into lthe socket to engage dieslots 18 and lock the leg in position. rflic leveris formed withoppositely disposed notches adjacentits ends so that the ends of thelever will `properly engage in the slots 18. The edges 21 of thesenotches ,are slightly angled to form cams which operatetodraw the sidewalls 1'0 toward each other and clamp Ithe leg between them. By turningsthe locking leveronits pivotinto the dotted position Shown in Fig. 3,'the leg will be Yreleased so that it'may be folded. The

locking lever has an extended finger piece 22 by which it ymay beconveniently handled.

Referring more .particularly to Fig. 4 it `will be observed that thesocket members are -`f- ,spa ced inwardly from the frame B a suiiicientdistance to provide `room for the 'lower ends ofthe legs mounted at theopposite corners. The leg when folded from the opposite corner extendspractically to the frame member B.

This makes it possible to obtain the maximum lengthof leg which can be`folded within the `frame.

It will be obvious to vthose skilled in theart that myginventionmay'beembodied in other ktypes of tables, vand in fact other furniture,

without vdeparting from ,the spirit and scope of the inventionandldesireit to be so understood.

I claim:

1. The combination of a table frame, a leg lyparallel with the frame,and means mounted on said supporting member for :embracmg the upper endportlon of theleg when the Ileg is swung on its hinge to open positionfor holding the leg .in -rigid relation to tl1e'supporting member.

2. The combination of a rectangular table f tiop frame, a leg, asupporting member carried by the frame, means hinging the leg onthevsupporting member to permit the leg to swing to open and closedposition, and a socket member mounted von the frame adj acent `.thehinging Imeans into which the lleg is insert-edwhen it is swung to vopenposition. 3. The combination of a table frame, `a supporting membercarried bythe fframe, a channel member 'rigidly mounted on thesupporting member adjacent lthe corner of thel table frame, andhavingits open l'side facing in a direction substantially 4parallel withone side of the frame, a leg, meanshinging the leg to saidsupportingmem'ber -adjacent said channel member topermit 'thetleg toswing into and out of engagement with said channel member. I

l et. The combination of a table yframe, a supporting .member carried by-the frame, -a channel member Arigidly mounted onfthe-supporting memberadjacent the corner `ofthe table frame and having its openside 'facingin a direction substantially parallel with one side of the 'fra-me, .aleg,vmea'ns hing'i-ngthe leg to the supporting "member to permit the legto swinginto'and Vout o'f'engagement with said channel member, and meansVfor locking the leg in said channel member. Y f

'5. The combination of a rectangular table frame, a leg supportingmember l.secured to the inside corner ofthe frame,a leg, a hinge havingone leaf thereof secured lto said sup- ,portin .member and the otherlea-f thereof secured substantially Pparallel with the frame, bracemembers mounted on 'said -sirpporting'fmember in position to be engagedbythe upper portion ofthe leg -whenthe `leg, is swung to open positionfor bracing the -leg against movement laterally or 'transversely' :of-its pivotal axis. Y

6. The combination Vof a rectangular table frame, a leg supporting'platesecuredltofthe inside corner of the frame, a leg,a-hinge having foneleaf thereof secured tofsa'id supporting ,plate and' the other leaf'thereof secured to the leg to permit said lleg-to swingsubstan-Jially.parallel with one lside of ethe frame, brace members mountedonfsa'id'supporting VYmember in .position to fbeengagedby `the upperportion-of the leg when :the .le-g isswung v to Vopen Aposition 'forlbracing sthe deg :against movement 'laterally .or :transversely of litstothe legto `permit said'legitofswing side of said frame, a leg, a hingehaving one leaf thereof secured to said plate and the other leaf thereofsecured to said leg whereby said leg will be hinged at the open side ofthe socket member to swing into engagement with said socket member, anda lock for holding the leg in said socket member.

8. The combination of a rectangular table frame having a top boardthereon, a plate positioned adjacent to and parallel with the undersurface of said top board, flanges on said plate, means securing saidflanges to the frame at the inside corner thereof, a socket i memberfastened to said plate with its longitudinal axis substantially at rightangles to the plate, and having an open side facing in a directionsubstantially parallel withl one side of said frame, a leg, a hingehaving one leaf thereof secured to said plate and the other leaf thereofsecured to said leg whereby said leg will be hinged at the open side ofthe socket member to swing into engagement with said socket member, andmeans for drawing the walls of said socketinto clamping engagement withthe leg when the leg is in the socket.

JOSEPH E. WOOD.

